I never believed that the Swedish pop duo Roxette would ever
come back, or that they would make a new album, or go out on a new tour. I didn't believe it when Marie joined Per onstage for a surprise performance in 2010, or
when they released the album Charm School,
or when they announced the American leg of their world tour, and much less when
I saw that they were coming to Boston on September 4, a year ago. I only
allowed myself to believe that one of my biggest dreams was coming true a few
weeks prior to the concert, when it was announced that the American fans would have
the chance to win meet-and-greets with Roxette. I had to move fast, and I participated
in a bunch of different contests available, and I won the banner contest for
the Boston concert.
On the day of the show, I headed to the House of Blues with
my best friend, and I was a nerve wreck. I met up with the winners of the other
contests, and like me they couldn't believe what was happening. We were led to
the side of the building and upstairs, where we waited for about half an hour
in front of a door, behind which our idols prepared to receive us. After the
wait was over, we were ushered into a small room, where we stood in silence and
excitement. Then Marie Fredriksson walked in. Her presence seemed to
bring light into that dim little room, and she proceeded to greet the fans,
always smiling and making small talk. When it was my turn, we greeted each
other, and she signed my flag which I had brought for that purpose, and then I asked
her if I could give her a hug. She responded by hugging me tighter than I expected.
I was taken by surprise and couldn't believe it, and she didn't let go for a
while. After the hug she kept holding my shoulders and smiling at me, thanking
me for coming, and she even grabbed my silver necklace and said she loved it. I
was star struck, seeing that face I knew so well, the owner of the voice I heard
nonstop throughout my teenage years. It was surreal. By that time Per Gessle had walked in and was greeting the
fans in front of me. He got to me, signed my flag, and I got a handshake and a
quick hug. He wasn't as affectionate as Marie, but he was very polite and nice to
everyone, and I was happy to meet this musical genius. After every fan had a
chance to individually interact with both Marie and Per, we were allowed to
take one group picture. I tried to be as close to Marie and Per as I could, and
I walked over to her. I stood next to her, in front of Per, who was holding her
shoulder. Marie held on to a fan’s hand, and she looked at me, grabbed my arm and
pulled me closer to her for the picture (which is seen above, but I cropped out the other fans, sorry). After the shot, she kept holding me
and the other fan, thanking us and smiling, only letting go when we were told
to leave the room. We were led downstairs, where my friend had saved me a spot
in the front row, and there I told her about my amazing experience meeting
Roxette, and waited for the show to start.
The concert was amazing, of course, especially seen from the
front row, and that night was definitely one of the highlights of my life. I
was the happiest person in the world, having met my idols, getting their
autographs, a picture next to them, and seen them perform live. It has been a year
this week, and thinking about that night still brings a smile to my face. I don’t
think Per and Marie could ever understand how happy they made me that night,
and how much their little actions meant to me, and I can only thank them for that
unforgettable moment.
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